Thursday, July 31, 2008

Last night, over a few beers, a group of us were discussing the magic that ensues when lobster meets butter. Someone wondered whether it would be possible (and delicious) to actually cook a lobster by boiling it in butter.

One theory was that it is impossible to boil butter - it simply burns too fast.

Another theory is that it is possible to do but is prohibitively expensive.

A third theory is that is is possible but the lobster would be so infused with butter that you would have a heart attack with a single bite.

As ardent fans of lobsters, butter, and The Internets, we were well near stunned when we searched Google for the phrases "boil lobster in butter" and "boil a lobster in butter" . . . and found zero hits. None. Zilch. Nada. How often does that happen?

Unless someone can provide us with insight, we see no choice but to perform an experiment, in the name of science, to see whether it is possible to cook a lobster by boiling it in butter.

Many years ago, someone asked me whether my motorcycle had air conditioning. At the time it was the stupidist question I'd ever been asked by a sober person.

Today at lunch, Sean and I wondered whether it was still such a dumb question. Might air conditioning now be an option on some high-end motorcycle? On a very hot day, sitting at a traffic light in a city, it might be kinda nice to have a cool breeze going.

The answer seems to be that no major manufacturer is offering this as an option but there is at least one company that is developing a personal, portable air conditioner that can be used by folks riding motorcycles.

According to a 2005 posting on a website tracking venture capital in Israel, "Until now, there was no solution on the market to the suffering of motorcycle riders who must wear heavy protective gear even in summer . . . Company founders and private American and French investors put $500,000 into development of the product . . . Entrosys was one of 30 companies out of hundreds, chosen to present its invention in a special session of the legislative body. Tremendous publicity in global media ensued as the ideas was seen as next bright promise in the world of motorcyclists. Guttman is currently improving the prototype based on feedback from riders engaged in trial use. When he completes the adjustments, he sill look for an international business partner to help Entrosys bring the tiny air-conditioner to the mass market."